Most student suicides 'occur during summer'

University students are most vulnerable to committing suicide towards the end or start of the academic year, according to a new research.

A study commissioned by suicide prevention charity Papyrus found that perfectionist tendencies and a fear of failure contributed towards students taking their lives.

After analysing 20 student suicides in detail, researchers suggested that young people may feel more "trapped" during the time between academic years.

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Nicky Stanley, professor of social work at the University of Central Lancashire, commented: "These young people were trapped by a web of problems at a point where they felt they could not return to the previous year, but were terrified of going forward."

In response to the study's findings, Papyrus is creating a training aid to help those working in higher education recognise and support vulnerable pupils.

Papyrus was established in 1997 by a group of parents who had lost children to suicide, but its membership now includes anyone concerned with the wellbeing of young people's mental health.

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